Patrick Williamstheahl.com writer
Of course it is Artūrsšilovs.
Time and again, Šilovs is the difference in Abbotsford Canucks’ Calder Cup Championship.
Last Monday, he led 3-2 and 3-2 in Charlotte’s final game 6, and the Ganaks once again needed their goalkeeper to come. šilovs shot 11 third shots in the last two minutes and was under tremendous pressure, but he was willing to get rid of checkers to win Abbotsford’s first title.
The 24-year-old Šilovs started all 24 Calder Cup playoff games, scoring 2.01 goals, averaging 2.01, saving 0.931 shots and 5 eliminations, winning the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy, the most valuable player in the playoffs.
The past two months have been a test, but the road to šilovs is far beyond that. The Šilovs 2019 sixth round draft pick held by Vancouver actually made his debut with Manitoba Moose in the 2020-21 season when border restrictions forced him to send him to a Canadian club instead of Ahl Ahl Affiliate in Utah, who was in Ahl Ahl Afliriation in New York, where he ran the campaign in Ahl Ahl Afliriation in New York, and he played in Abportif in 20221, which was a 22-22 campaign. Locking No. 1 in AHL Canucks in 2022-23. Since then, Šilovs has been back and forth between Abbotsford and Vancouver, trying to work along the depth chart, which currently includes Thatcher Demko and Kevin Rankinen.
“It takes game,” Šilovs said of learning to deal with his career ups and downs. “It takes experience.”
Now, Šilovs has given Vancouver management enough this summer. One thing they are sure of is that he is a goalkeeper who flourishes under pressure. Before winning the Calder Cup, he stepped onto the third-string goalkeeper in Vancouver and led them into the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, almost upsetting Edmonton. Two years ago, at the IIHF World Championship, he brought Latvia to his first medal title – winning the bronze – while winning the championship’s top goalkeeper and most valuable player.
After lifting the Calder Cup for the first time, Shlovs stood on the ice at the Little Bojangles Stadium and looked almost like someone who had just experienced five series and two playoffs.
“I actually feel great,” said šilovs. “I learned to manage my energy better, and I think it helps a lot, especially for these good opponents. They have so many tips that you just learn to adapt and play and save more energy.”
In a psychological sense, the same (if not more) of the Calder Cup playoffs. Entering Game 5, the Šilovs and Canucks have a chance to win the championship in front of home fans. Instead, they lost in overtime with a goal of Forge who closed two defenders, having to pack up and fly to Charlotte.
“You want to win such a bad victory at home,” said šilovs. “It didn’t go our way. Bad rebound, you’re upset about it, but the next day you wash it, travel, come here. You have another chance, we did.”
This psychological test is both individual and team-wide. With Šilovs now at the potential to become a full-time NHL goalkeeper, he will be teaching with him from this championship trip.
Overview of šilov: “Learn how to build a championship team, understand the chemistry, make everyone fight each other.” “No selfishness, everyone is happy with each other. I think that’s a big change in energy, keeping each other positive.
“It’s OK. The next day. The next game. The next victory. Just build from it.”
During the fifty years in the American Hockey League, Theahl.com writer Patrick Williams currently covers NHL.com and Flosports leagues and is a regular contributor to Siriusxm NHL New Network Radio. He won the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for his outstanding league coverage in 2016.
